Valve mechanism



.1. c. cRowLY VLVE MECHANISM -f Aug. 3o, 1932.

Filed Jan. 15. 1930 fnv/04.504 24 3 ZAIWWW Patented Aug. 30, 1932 i JOHN C. CROWLEY, OF CLEVELAND AHEIGllI-I'JJS; yOHIO VALVE-.1v:uclearner:

VApplication mea January 13, 1930. Serin No. 420,368.

This inventionrelates'to ya valvemechanism which is particularly adaptedfor use in connection with valve stems for inner Vtubes ofpneumatic tires although, of course,

itimay b e used in other relationships. y

An obJect of theinventionis to provide a j valve mechanism ofthe type which is adapted to bemounted upon theend of a' standard valve stem'y and which .is so constructed that it readily adapts itself to different valve 'stems so as to be properly positioned thereon. @Another objectis to provide in such a mechanism a 4construction wherein the parts are so formed as to eiciently functionwith a minimum of wear.

Additional Vobjects and advantages residing inthe details of construction. will become apparent herein vas the vdescription pro'- gresses. y f Reference should be 'had to the accompanying drawing forming afpart of thespec'iication,y in which: y

Fig. llis va" sectional elevation with the valve mechanism in. the closed position;

'Fig'. 2'is a fragmentary `view'similar to Fig. l., but `showing the valve mechanism in the opened or unseated position; and` .y

Fig. 3 is an elevational'view of the'valve mechanism.

As is well understood in ard valve stem is provided, at Vone end with a head adapted to be arrangedupon the inside ,i of the tire tube, while the other,` endy of the f .l stem is reduced and Vis 'externally threaded threaded member. p.

is provided with a-'central bore, that portion to receive aV dust capfor other internally .Thestandar'd valve stem of Vthe bore within the reduced' externally threadedend of the stem being largerthan the remaining portion of thebore and being j connected to such remaining portionby a ltapered portion. Ordinarily, theenlarged portion'of the bore is threaded so-thata valve linsides may be inserted in the stem, which insides has a` packed part cooperating with the tapered portion of the bore. view of the various types-oi` wheels that yare used on automobiles, it often occurs that the 4standard valve-stem is of insulicient length to give accessibility theretofor the purpose of `the art, the stand- InI infiating the tire` orfor testing' the air pressure within the'tire. It is, therefore, often Vnecessary to '.provide a valve mechanis'min -ithenature of anV extension which may #be secured upon the end of the valve stem. Y

In F ig. l of the drawing, the valve stem is indicated avt/10while the enlarged portion of 'the bore is 'shown withiny there'duced externally threaded portion l11 of .the stem, i this enlarged portion 'being connected to the portion l2 of the bore bythe tapered portion .13.

The valve' mechanism ofthe present invention comprisesfan elongated positioning 'memvloer-14 having a centralbore 15 adapted to p align withthe bore in the valve stem and' being"` providedv at one end with apackin'g f 16 cooperating with the. tapered portion 13 "of Vthe valve stemibore to forman air seal vand" at i Thefpurpose ofthe positioning member is', "of course, to enable .the mechanism to be used on `sealing'fit between" the mechanismjand 'stem irrespective of the location ofthe tapered Vportieri of the valve .fstembore withr'espect to the 'end of the stem.` A sleeve 18,exter nally threaded atits Iupper end 19, "has'its lower end fitting over the enlargedhead of the positioning member. 'The sleeve f 18 is provided with van externalannular shoulder 2O and with an internal annular shoulder-21. An .internally threaded nut 22' is adapted to be *threaded upon the externally vthreaded reduced: portion of; the valve stem, this'nut having'an extension 23, the upperend of which is turned inwardly to engage, overthe external shoulder 2O of 'the sleeve so as to p swivelly connect the nut and Sleeve.; fAn internal annularshoulder 24C isJ formedv inthe nut at the junction of the extension Q3 andthe main 'body of the nut and upon .this shoulder 'rests the lower end ofv the sleevelS [andV the l enlarged head of" the positioning member; as 9 clearly shown in the drawi,nga; ,Itis clear from this disclosure that when the valve I mechanism is assembled uponthe valve stem,` l the gasket 16'upon the end of the positlomng member 14,7will be moved longitudinally into tension 26. The outsideV of the `internally threaded portion of the nut 25 is knurled, as v l shown at 28 in F ig. 3', to facilitate the' openl ling and closing of the valve mechanism.

A plunger member, indicated generally at 29.is larranged in thenut 25. being swivelly connected thereto'byf a shoulder 30 bearing 2@ againft the internalshoulder 27 of the nut and VYby an outturned annular flange 31 bearing upon the end of the extension 26 of the nut. The plunger 29 adjacent its inner end is contracted radially inwardly, as shown at 32,

, and lhas fitted therein afplug 33,k from which extends a centrally arranged projection 34. The contracted portion 32 is likewise provided with a series, of` circumferentially `spacedlopenings 35. f e 3o v, Theplunger 29 has a central bore 36 closed ,at one endby the plug 33, the projection 34 ofwhich extends vinto the bore, while adjacent, the other end of the bore is an inwardly projecting fiange37 forminga reduced'lopen-v Saging: 38l andbeing providedfon its. inner side with a narrowedged, downwardly extending valvefseat 39. A checlr valve is arranged y ,inQthey plunger 29so as to vvnormally seat on the seat 39, this clieclrvalve being carried by 4o a pin 41 extending through the yreduced opening 38 tota point adjacent the outer` en d of `the bore of the plunger and also inwardly of the plunger intoan axial recess inthe plug '33 and projectionv 34 thereof, within which re- .'.115 cess the pinA 41 has a Vsliding fit. Surroundfing the projection 34'and bearing upon the end of the plug 33 is al spring 42 which surrounds at its other endva projecting portion of th'efcheck.' valve vand -serves'to normally 5o maintainsu'ch valve in engagement withits seat39. It is clear from the construction that the'spring 42 is guidedy and seated `at onefend' by the formation of the check valve and at its other end is similarly guided and seated by the formation of the plug 33. It is also clear that the valve pin is positively guided by its engagement in the axial recess in the ,plug 33V and itsV extension 34, and that because of this guiding of the spring and the stemethe operation ofthecheck valve will be positive an dl accurate. yArranged iinj the sleeve 18 is a rubber cup 43, suchcup having its bottom bearing 'upon the upper side of the enlarged head 17 of Y C3, the positioning member 14v and beingprovided tained in contact with its seat'39 and serves with an annular metallic ferrule Vor ring 44 arranged externally of the cup sothat the upper edge of the ring bears against the internal shoulder 21 of the slee-ve and thereby prevents thevbottom of the cup from being unseated by the stretch of its walls when the Y valve is opened.v The bottom ofthe cup is provided with a central opening 45 in alignment with the bore 15ey through the position. inLr member 14, whilethe upper end of the rubber. cup has an inwardly extending enlarged wall portion 46 seating in an annular groove 47 formed inthe plunger 29.

As previously stated, the valve mechanism is assembled upon the valve stem by inserting the positioning memberl 14 lintothe bore of the stem Aand then screwing the'nut 22 down upon the externally threaded reduced portion 11 of the valve stem. The nut 22, being swiveiled to :the sleeve 13, moves the latter toward 85 the valve stem andalso forces the positioning Y ,member into the stem without rotation Vuntil the packing 16 seats upon the tapered portion 13 of thestem'. The knurlednut 25l is then rotated to move the plunger 29 inwardly until the end ofthe plugr33 firmly seats uponthe bottom of the rubber cup 431andthereby closes the opening 45 through the bottom ofthe rubber cup. The check valve 40"*isfalso mainas an additional checkl against the escape of air. Likewise, .the employment of the `rub ber cupV furnishes VV a further adequate 'seal against the escape of air since when the plunger is inthe position referred to the walls. V

of thefcup arecompressed into' close engagement with theinner wall of the sleeve 18, while the bottom of the cup is'pre'ssed by the plug 33 into tight` engagement with the enlarged head of the positioning member and 105. with the wallof the sleeve. A

When it is desired to'inflate the tire 'or to Vdetermine the air pressure therein, the

positioned upon the end ofthe valve mecha-Y nism, the pin 41 will be depressed against the tensionof thespring 42 and the Vvalve. 40 thus unseated, whereupon air may pass ene tirely through the valve mechanism 'into' the 120 valve stem or, oppositely', from the valve stem Aand through the'valve mechanism. vThe upper end of the knurled nut 25, being externally threaded, forms'a convenient means forconnecting a hand pump ora dust cap thereto.

l' Since thevalve mechanism is mounted externally of the valve stem uponthe end of the stem, the mechanism may-be formed of parts of substantial size thereby increasing the rugy l gednessl of thelpartsk and reducing to a minimum the Wear upon said parts bythe use of the mechanism. Furthermore, since the positioning member and the rubber cup are assembled upon the valve stem by movement axially thereof, it will be seen that wear upon these parts is less than if the entire valve mechanism were rotated in `assembling `the same upon the valve stem.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated vand described herein, it should be understood that the same is susceptible of such modifications and adaptations as fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A valve mechanism of the type adapted to be secured upon the end of a valvev stem comprising a sleeve, a gasket Within said sleeve, and a movable plunger slidable Within said sleeve, said plunger having a longitudinal bore closed at one end by a plug adapted to cooperate with said gasket and having a projection, said plunger also being provided intermediate its ends with a valve seat, a valve pin arranged in the bore of the plunger having one end sliding in a recess in the projection on said plug and being provided intermediate its ends with a valve having a projection, and a spring surrounding said pin and the projections on the plug and valve, said spring seating upon said plug and valve and maintaining the latter in engagement' with the valve seat.

2. A valve mechanism of the type adaptedl to be secured upon the end of a valve stem comprising a sleeve, a cup-shaped gasket Within said sleeve having an opening inits bottom Wall, and a movable member associated With said sleeve and having a plunger adapted to close said opening in the gasket, said gasket being provided with a thickened upper edge and said plunger being provided with a groove Within which said enlarged edge seats. i

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

JOHN C. CROWLEY. 

